BIO

Assistant Coach

Adrian Burde (pronounced bur-DAY) enters his ninth season with the Florida gymnastics program in the fall of 2014. He coaches vault and tumbling, as well as aids in recruiting and team conditioning.

Burde has coached vault and tumbling for the Gators since 2011. A Gator has claimed two recent NCAA vault titles (Marissa King/2011 and Kytra Hunter/2012). Florida has also taken Southeastern Conference event titles each of the last four seasons (Ashanée Dickerson, 2011 floor exercise; Hunter, 2012 vault, 2013 and 2014 floor; Bridget Sloan, 2013 floor).

Florida’s seven advancing to the last four NCAA floor exercise finals is the nation’s top total in that time span and UF’s eight in the NCAA vault finals is the second highest. The Gators’ floor total of 49.725 in 2013 Super Six action set the NCAA Championships’ event record and Florida’s 49.875 in the 2014 home opener is the second-highest floor total in NCAA history. Florida ranked as the nation’s No. 1 vault team for 25 of 34 ranking periods (spanning from 2011 to 2013 seasons) and was the top-ranked floor team for the entire 2011 season.

Two Gators matched Florida’s vault and floor exercise records in 2014. Hunter led the nation with six 10.0 marks (two vault; four floor) and Sloan also turned in a 10.0 floor score.

Burde coached the Gator uneven bar performers when he joined the program and his impact was evident early. The 2007 Gators opened the season with the team's then third-highest uneven bars team total ever of 49.575 at the Super Six Challenge. The UF bar record was reset to 49.70 versus Kentucky on Feb. 16. The Gators held the No. 1 position in the national bar rankings for the final nine weeks of the regular season. Florida was again among the national uneven bars leaders in Burde's second season. Florida's total of 49.625 set in the Gators' Link to Pink meet was the nation's highest uneven bars total of the 2008 season and ranks third all-time for the Gators. Two Gators advanced to the 2009 NCAA bar final, with then sophomore Alicia Goodwin sharing third overall – matching the then-second-highest UF bar finish in the program’s history. All-America honors were earned by three Gator bar performers in 2010, with two advancing to the event final.

His peers recognized Burde as the 2007 National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches for Women (NACGC) Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year. In 2011 and again in 2013, he shared the NACGC Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor with fellow Gator assistant Robert Ladanyi.

Burde joined UF in June of 2006 after working as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska since 2001. At Nebraska, he served as the vault and floor coach and conditioning coordinator. While there, he was named the 2003 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the NACGC and the 2003 South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

At Nebraska, Burde helped lead the Cornhuskers to four NCAA Super Six team finals (2002, ‘03, ’05, ’06). He saw NU athletes earn 19 All-America honors in the floor and vault events. It was at Nebraska that Burde coached Canadian Richelle Simpson, the 2003 NCAA all-around and floor exercise champion. He served as her coach at the 2003 World Championships in Anaheim, Calif., and the 2003 Pan American Games. Burde and UF Head Coach Rhonda Faehn both were members of the Nebraska coaching staff for the 2002 season.

Prior to working at Nebraska, Burde coached the girl’s Level 10 and International Elite programs for the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in Norman, Okla. There, he coached U.S. National Team members Larissa Stewart and Lori Wynn.

Burde began his coaching career in his native Romania in 1994, where he was a Junior National team coach until 1999. He coached the Romanian Junior National Team with current UF Assistant Coach Robert Ladanyi. The two have known each other since their competitive gymnastic days.

Burde’s international coaching experience is a great benefit to the Gators. He coached Romanian Alexandra Eremia from 1997-99, who later was a member of the 2004 Olympic gold medal team and was awarded the bronze medal on the balance beam. Burde also coached Florica Leonida during the same time, who along with Eremia, earned a team silver medal at the 2003 World Championships.

Burde was a member of the Romanian Junior National Team from 1988 to 1992. He joined the French club team Aix les Bains in 1992 and captured the all-around title at the 1994 French national meet. While competing, Burde also helped coach younger gymnasts at the club.

Burde is a 1996 graduate of the Romanian National School of Coaching, where he received a degree in International High Level Gymnastics.

He married the former Darcie Lee in the summer of 2007. They welcomed Isabella to their family in August of 2012.